So glad baseball is back. I normally ignore spring training but this year baseball feels like it’s been years since we had it. Here’s some initial thoughts on the Sox from spring training 2023 opening weekend~
Yoshida looks good. Very good.
Hate the pitch clock. Sorry. To watch an umpire stop the game, make a scene to announce a strike on the batter for not being ready or call a ball on the pitcher for failing to start his motion on time is just not baseball. It feels forced. Very much so.
Thank god Bryan Bello is ok. He said he feels great and the forearm strain was nothing serious. You can exhale now, Chaim-
Loved watching Verdugo collect a pair of hits on Sunday. If anyone needs to start off hot, it’s him.
Am I the only one whose heart breaks for the non-roster guys when they strike out in spring training games?
New catcher Jorge Alfaro comes with the nickname ‘Aqua Man’ and reported hasn’t cut his hair in four years. A righty swing built for Fenway and cachet with the fans = goodbye Connor Wong.
Gimme Raimel Tapia all day, everyday over Jarren Duran as the Sox 5th OF. Refsnyder is the lock as the 4th OF already with a guaranteed contract.
The two players - Enmanuel Valdez and Wilyer Abreu - that Bloom got back in the Christian Vazquez trade both look like solid lefty hitters. Short, stocky, compact, double-ear flap helmet kinda guys with line-drive swings…
Need to see more from Duvall before getting too excited…
Justin Turner has to hit more than 13 HR’s as the full time DH. Has to. I say the Monster gets him closer to 20 this season…
Although the reports on Ceddanne Rafaela comparing him to Mookie Betts were an obvious reach, he does look like a prototypical ‘small guy but tons of pop’ player. I like him. And I bet he sees Fenway by June.
Consider this: if Red Sox ownership acted like San Diego’s…this would be our lineup…
Mookie Betts, RF
Rafael Devers, 3B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Kyle Schwarber, DH
Kike Hernández, CF
Trevor Story*, 2B
Christian Vazquez, C
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Triston Casas, 1B
Chris Sale is slated to throw a couple of innings in a game this week. NESN announcer Lou Merloni said it’s fair to expect him to be back to a high level this season…he’s not wrong.
By the way, Merloni was such a good choice by WEEI to be the primary in-game analyst this upcoming season. My understanding is there will be a slew of partners for Dave O’Brien to work with on NESN with Youk as the primary guy. Youkilis is good. Merloni is better.
Speaking of NESN, please stop with all the “these Red Sox are gonna surprise you!” commercials. And if I have to hear Tom Caron ask another Sox player what they would tell fans that have low expectations I’m gonna absolutely puke. Like, just stop it. Let it play out at this point. If we’re lucky enough to get another 2013, it’ll happen. But be done with the whole “just give us a chance” crap. Aside from Sale and Devers, this isn’t on Cora or the players. It’s completely on Henry and Bloom. Period.
Speaking more of NESN (unfortunately), they’d do well to pony up the cash to get Sean McDonough to take over full time and push Dave O’Brien back over to WEEI. O’Brien excels at straight-up game calling and has the pipes, no doubt. But he rarely criticizes anything on Boston’s play or front office. McDonough, who delivers zingers and kudos alike, is broadcast gold.
Seeing Ryan Fitzgerald knock in the wall-off winning run on Sunday against Tampa was fun to see on Sunday. He’s easy to root for. Look up his story if you don’t know it. Definitely a feel-good journey from going undrafted out of college to rising MLB-fringe player trying to crack the roster…
Casas clearly controls the strike zone well. Classic ‘if he didn’t swing, then it’s not a strike’ guy. Hopefully, he can bust 25-30 HR’s.
First Bobby Dalbec blast of the spring! Won’t be surprised to see him hit 7 or 8 in spring training. Unfortunately for him, his chance is gone. At least in Boston.
I barely mentioned the Sox pitching. That’s because none of the starters nor lockdown bullpen arms threw in games this weekend (as planned). Stay tuned-